Sugar is love, for the brain and the stomach as well. The brain and the stomach can not do away with it completely. If not sugar, there should certainly be some alternative that a person can have. Despite our culture, ethnicity, race, religion, or body type, we always crave dessert and never say no to it when someone offers it.
Your Stomach is Flexible
Yes, your stomach quite literally. When we say this we really mean it. The walls of the intestine can expand accordingly to a certain limit when it comes to adjusting food, and making space for some dessert is what we all do most of the time. When you eat something sweet, it releases a special hormone, the hormone tricks the body into thinking that the stomach is not actually full, and there is still some room left for that little bit.
Science says that the sugar and the glucose levels present in our food stimulate a reflex that makes your stomach walls expand and fit in more food. However, going overboard in terms of food exceeding your limits can lead to discomfort so it is advised to eat within limits.
Sugar is Relaxing
I need a candy bar, chocolate no matter what time of the day it is. These are some words we often get to hear when someone is stressed. Sugar provides a bit of comfort when you are stressed and lets you relax with time.
Serotonin is a good mood chemical within our bodies. It takes away our stress, anxiety, depression, and feeling of sadness as well. The release of serotonin in the body somehow gives your brain a breathing space. A time to relax and energize. Sugar tends to make us feel good when we tend to feel less happy. Eating sugary sweet desserts can also lead to the release of endogenous opioids that makes you feel a sense of pleasure.
Sugar makes you feel full
Imagine having your meal, when you feel there is no space left for even a morsel of food, there comes a platter full of your favorite dessert you have been craving for a long time. This does not indicate any problems in your health or a problem with your stomach or digestive system. A lot of people go through this and there is certainly a scientific explanation to all this.
We explain it further. While you have your food, your body releases a hormone that tells your brain, the stomach is now full. These hormones trigger specific areas of the brain that are involved in the decision making related to either stop eating or continue eating.
Diet factors can Cause Cravings
At times it is not your will power that is to be blamed for your sugar cravings, it is your diet that is to be blamed. Our low protein intake is precisely the specific thing to be blamed for the cravings. Protein can slow down the push of sugar in your bloodstreams, this leads to your body craving for more and more sugar in any form be it, chocolates, bars, candies, or desserts. Your body and mind take these sugary products as a quick source of energy.
7 ways to Outsmart your Sugar Cravings?
- Start your day with a heavy breakfast. The more food you eat in the morning, the more balanced your sugar cravings will be throughout the day. High-protein breakfasts prove to be effective in this case and reduce cravings.
- Plan meals in advance- Planning meals in advance is probably the best to prevent dips in blood sugar. As dips in the blood sugar can lead to an urge for desserts. Planning your meals effectively, ahead of time can help you. Staying hungry can lead to cravings, which makes your mind and body seek more sugary food for instant energy.
- Dehydration can lead to hunger – Drinking plenty of water can save you from this. Add lemon and other flavors to your water to make it more flavorful so that you drink more water. Your body can sometimes misinterpret the signal it gets from the brain. At times it can be thirst, rather than sugar craving.
- Change, change, change – Your sugar cravings can be due to a mix of many factors rather than the brain and body wanting more of it. It can also be out of boredom that we as humans crave for food, specifically something sweet to have. When you crave for anything sweets, wait for atleast 10 minutes and change your environment, the setting around you or maybe change your place. Try to distract yourself from the craving.
- Go for natural sweeteners – In order to satisfy your sugar cravings in a better way, turn to vegetables such as sweet potatoes, squash, beets and carrots. Sweet spices such as cinnamon, cardamom or cloves can also make your food taste sweet and satisfy your sweet cravings. You can also have frozen bananas and berries, and make them into a smoothie, that will not only satisfy your quench but your cravings as well.
- Trick your taste buds and your brain- Trick your brain and body by eating something sour while you crave something sweet. The sour flavors (different from the usual sugary smooth taste) in the food and the different taste can stimulate the taste buds and distract you from the sugar craving.
- Eat Mint chocolate candies- When we talk about desserts it doesn’t necessarily have to be about heaps of sugary foods, large preparations being served to us. You can satisfy your sweet cravings by eating mint mouth freshener candy, just a small bite into these can satisfy your sweet cravings and make your stomach feel full. Mint is also a sweet herb, that can make any food sweet, so having mint candy can be a great option.
